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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Interview with Catherine Bybee + Not Quite Mine Review

Welcome to my stop on Catherine Bybee's virtual book tour! I'm pleased to be interviewing Catherine today, and I'm also sharing my review for Not Quite Mine. Please help me welcome her to the blog by leaving a comment, letting us know that you stopped by!

I
surprise my readers when I tell them I didn’t like my English Lit
classes in school. Creative writing in college, on the other hand, I
loved. I wanted to be an actress…but waiting tables was entirely
over-rated. So I went to school to become a nurse. Yeah…notice
nothing about books yet?

Then
six years ago, I was injured in the ER and I found myself at a
crossroads. I’d always loved reading, especially romance, and
finally had the time to actually write a book. So I did… followed
by another one and another one. It’s all about romance for me at
this point. I want a HEA and I’m willing to create it!

How long
have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what
genres?

I’ve
been seriously writing for about five years. I jotted down short
stories as a kid, but never finished anything until five years ago. I
have 14 titles as of now. Several shorter stories, and eight
full-length paperback books.

Do you
write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever
consider straying outside your genre?

I
write contemporary, paranormal, and time travel romance. I love
mixing it up. I’ve nibbled on Erotic, but will leave that genre for
those who do it better than I. Pun intended.

Are you a
plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?

I’m
a pantser!

What is a
typical writing day like for you?

I
start by clearing out my inbox of email, checking with my assistant
about what needs to be done in terms of tours and promotion. If I
have a book in edits that takes priority. If not, then it’s onto
writing after a cup of coffee and maybe a trip to the gym. Thought
that gym thing doesn’t happen as often as it should. *wink* I write
every day. When I’m on a deadline I have a word count of 3,000 to
achieve. Some days I write more, some days less. It just depends on
the story.

Who do you
love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?

Romance!
I’ll try any author, if I like ‘em I’ll read them again…

What is
something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I’d
like to see my name BACK on the NYT’s and USA Today Bestseller
List. That would take some structural changes within their policy at
the NYT’s and USA Today. But you never know. My sales, and the
sales of many of my fellow Montlake Authors exceed some of those on
those Bestseller list, but until these lists loosen their rules, we
don’t make the list. *sigh*

If you
could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

To
move things with my mind.

If you
could keep a mythical/paranormal creature as a pet, what would you
have?

I
haven’t created a pet yet that I’d keep as my own, and can’t
remember one from a book to suggest.

Tell us a
little about your latest release.

Not
Quite Mine is Katie and Dean’s story. My readers met Dean and Katie
in Not Quite Dating. Katie is a rich heiress to a hotel empire and
has everything she could possible want…excerpt the man she’s
always loved.

But
alas…this is a romance novel and my readers going into the book
know there will be a HEA, but that journey is met with many twists
and turns that will hopefully delight and keep my readers turning
pages.

What is
something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family
members)

Books.

Could you
ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and
what would you write?

I
would happily co author a book with Nora Roberts, but I doubt she’d
be game. As for what we’d write… We could come up with something!

If you
could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would
it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?

Nostradamus.
Cuz that man held the secrets to the universe and I wanna know what
made him tick!

My
bucket list is to travel abroad. I’ve hit most of the US, parts of
Mexico and Canada… and a few islands. But I want to visit Europe,
and if the tensions calm, many other places on the globe.

If you were
on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick?

My
time travel series.

What is a
talent you wish you had, but don't?

To
play the piano… though I’ve never taken lessons, so who knows.

Favorite
color?

Dark,
to hide the extra pounds. *wink*

Weather:
Hot or cold?

Hot
in summer. Cold in winter.

Favorite
place to read?

Outside
on a warm day, or curled next to a fire on a cool one.

Favorite
meal

Pasta,
hence the dark colors to hide the pounds.

Favorite
non-alcoholic drink.

Water

If you
could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you
back, where would you go?

Scotland

Blurb: Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn “Katie” Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott—the only man she’s ever loved—at her brother’s wedding, Katie realizes there’s a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise: a baby girl left on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn’t need Dean snooping around…especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone.

Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him about the baby. He shouldn’t care what the woman who broke his heart is up to…and he most certainly shouldn’t still be aching for her. Yet Dean can’t ignore the need to protect Katie—or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever.

Review Rating: 4 LIGHTNING BOLTS

Review: Not Quite Mine is a well written contemporary story about second chances. This is the second book in the trilogy, and while I have not read the first one, Not Quite Dating, to me it seems like reading them out of order is just fine. I didn't feel like I missed too much by not knowing the first story.

Katie Morrison is about to get a few eye openers. She comes face to face with a man from her past, and what she doesn't expect is how her deep feelings for him are resurrected. Add in a few parts mystery when a baby is brought into her life and she has some choices to make. Katie has had a lot of growing up to do, and in Not Quite Mine, she deals with the reality of her situations.

Dean Prescott...what can I say about him? Sexy, strong, and very loyal to Katie. He's never fully gotten over his feelings for her and when he's around her all control is lost.

The story is well written. It's witty, fun, fast paced and full of emotion, drama, and a bit of soul searching. I'm going to have to go back and read Not Quite Dating, and then when the next one comes out, i'll be all over it! I enjoy the author's writing style and voice. It stands out and makes the books easy to read, and the characters are well defined. If you enjoy a great contemporary romance, I definitely recommend Note Quite Mine.

BIO:

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the novels Wife by Wednesday and Married by Monday. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.

9 comments:

Good interview! I had no idea Catherine had once been a nurse. I also didn't know there was anything strange going on with the best sellers lists...it should be straight sales that determine that and no publication politics...lol..at least that's my opinion. Good luck to Catherine on getting back on the list. I can't wait to read Not Quite Mine - I read Not Quite Dating and enjoyed the little bit we got to see of Katie in that one.